Victor: The wrong questionnaire

IN THANKING us for buying our boat licence CaRT wanted to know how well we were satisfied with its licence purchase process. 

So asked that we fill in its questionnaire concerning its process, that it told would take just five minutes. The process. I hasten to add, which, give or take, was okay. 

But surely as far as we boaters are concerned would it not have been been more preferred if CaRT had offered us a questionnaire, not how we thought  of such a insignificant process of paying an invoice, but the much more important one of its running of our waterways?

No way José—it already knows!

Something to look forward to

It's getting to the state these day that I look forward to the 'Cartisms' of the stoppage notices, as they provide some amusement, a pity though that they can at times be so misinforming that they cause boaters problems.

As I have often related, it is obvious those responsible have little knowledge of the waterways or it seems even the ability to check with the waterway guides.

Well proven by a Cartism telling boaters of a Hurleston stoppage that there is a winding hole at Bunbury Bottom Lock, when most who have worked those locks are aware it is at the top—there is not one at the bottom.

It certainly proves whoever writes these stoppage notices doesn't know how to read a canal map, and has certainly never been boating on the canals!—A lady operating a boat hire company on the Shroppie tells me!

Ner a word...

It would seem the towpaths are getting a bad reputation these days with attacks, some very serious indeed, and people seemingly randomly pushed into the canals.

Every week over the past few months has seen such attacks with two vicious rapes in May and July resulting in police warning women not to walk the towpaths alone.

But ner a word from Canal & River Trust, nor in those publications in its favour...  Balanced reporting?  I don't think so.

To cheer you up

Here's something to cheer you all up—a pretty picture, or perhaps not!

For CaRT has decided to cheer everyone up passing along the waterway by creating the Leicester Canal Art Project with pictures such as the one shown along the Soar.

Sorry, boaters not included as it was in lockdown again and so no boaters allowed on the waterway!

At last

I was exceptionally pleased to see that the stoppage on Buckby Flight on the Grand Union was put down to 'maintenance issues'—at last!

Does this mean we can we hope for a bit of truth in the reason for so many of the stoppages—lack of maintenance?  We can but hope.

Victor Swift